Helvick
{{Short description|Townland in County Waterford, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}}
{{Use Irish English|date=January 2021}}
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| name = Helvick
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| type = Headland
| photo = 20120812 26 Ireland - Co. Waterford - Ballyvoile (7939021888).jpg
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| photo_caption = View from Ballyvoile out to Helvick Head
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| geology = Old Red Sandstone
| age = 380 million years
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Helvick or Helvick Head ({{Langx|ga|Heilbhic, Ceann Heilbhic}}, {{langx|non|Hellavík}}) is a headland on the southern end of Dungarvan Harbour, Ireland; it is the eastern tip of the Ring Peninsula.{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/through-the-gaeltacht-and-to-the-sea-1.597126|title=Through the Gaeltacht and to the sea|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=15 June 2011|accessdate=10 January 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.irelandhighlights.com/info/helvick-head/|title=Helvick Head - Ireland Highlights}}{{Cite web|url=https://eoceanic.com/sailing/harbours/30/helvick|title=eOceanic|website=eoceanic.com}}
Formed of Old Red Sandstone, it is the easternmost protrusion of a ridge that begins near Cork City.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ucc.ie/en/bees/outreach/geogarden/rock1/|title=Old Red Sandstone|website=University College Cork}}
Name
Helvick is one of a very few Irish place names derived from Old Norse. The second part, -vík, means "bay" (cf. Smerwick); and -hel in Icelandic means death or danger. (See the Icelandic adjective helvískur which means dangerous). Helvik would be recognised by an Icelander as suggesting a dangerous harbour entrance, especially in view of the presence of the very dangerous Blackrock right in the entrance to Dungarvan Harbour and just over a mile from the headland of Helvick.
The meaning of the first part is unclear, but it may mean "healthy", "white", "holy", or "safe"; compare with Hellvik, Norway.{{Cite web|url=https://www.logainm.ie/en/49599|title=Heilbhic/Helvick|website=Logainm.ie}}
Wildlife
{{Commons category|Helvick Head Pier}}
Helvick Head is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC).[https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/sac/000665 Helvick Head SAC | National Parks & Wildlife Service] The cliffs are a nesting site for seabirds including choughs and shag. Other bird species include razorbill, Northern fulmar, peregrine falcon, black-legged kittiwake, black guillemot, and common murre (guillemot).{{cite web | url=https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/natura2000/NF000665.pdf | title=Helvick Head SAC | publisher=National Parks & Wildlife Service | date=January 2019 | accessdate=10 January 2021}}
Plants include gorse, bell heather, ling, devil's-bit scabious, heath bedstraw, bog violet, burnet rose, thrift, kidney vetch, sea mayweed and wild carrot.{{Cite web|url=http://www.askaboutireland.ie/enfo/irelands-environment/county-focus/waterford/coast/helvick-head/|title=Helvick Head|website=www.askaboutireland.ie}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JCodAQAAIAAJ&q=Helvick|title=The Irish Naturalists' Journal|date=8 February 1968|publisher=I.N.J. Committee.|via=Google Books}}
Lifeboat station
{{main|Helvick Head Lifeboat Station}}
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution opened a lifeboat station at Dungarvan in 1859. It was moved to Crow's Point at Helvick in 1899. The station was closed in 1969 but a new inshore lifeboat station was established in 1997. The lifeboat was housed in temporary accommodation until the permanent facilities were ready in 1999.{{cite book |last1=Leonard |first1=Richie |last2=Denton |first2=Tony |title=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Handbook 2024|date=2024 |publisher=Lifeboat Enthusiasts Society |page=111}}{{cite web| title =Helvick Head's station history | website = RNLI | url =https://rnli.org/find-my-nearest/lifeboat-stations/helvick-head-lifeboat-station/station-history-helvick-head |access-date = 8 December 2024}}
References
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